A/N: Again! It is an addiction. I've come to that conclusion.
Anyway, a few answers.
Wolf Of Solitude: Since the matter of 'who' gave Harry the cookies sort of comes up in this chapter, I can't say much here. If this chapter doesn't clear the matter up for you, feel free to readdress it and I'll try and be more specific in an answer next time.
So, let me see, I can't answer about the cookies. I can't answer about whether Harry will be all right. That leaves the last question. Snape's potion didn't work (sort-of), as was pointed out in chapter four. But it did give them quite a bit of information based on the fact that it didn't work.
Kiara Black: I'm really please you like the story so far. As for staying true to the characters.....well, hang in there with me over the next few chapters. I was told Snape went a little OOC in one chapter. But based on the circumstances and the history I set up between the characters, I disagree. But, everyone is entitled to an opinion. I'd love to hear yours.
VMR: As always, thank you.
Silent Shadow: I'm glad you enjoy it.
Silverfox: Thank you. But Snape isn't done with the Dursley's yet. And especially after this chapter, he has some serious issues with them. And what's worse than a bunch of muggles....ahhhhh.....'upsetting' a former Deatheater?
As I told Wolf Of Solitude, unfortunately, due to story content, I can't say much about the bakery/baker issue, but I'm sure I'm headed for a good slapping by someone by the end of this chapter regarding that very issue. Such is life.
Just out of curiosity, if not Voldemort, who do you think is behind all this?
Lady Saturn: O.K.. Thirty points for your house for knowing it was 'da cookies'. I am curious though how you knew. You'll have to tell me in your review when you feel it's safe. I mean, Harry could have just been sick.
I'm glad your enjoying the story. If you want something to really keep yourself occupied while waiting for Book 5, and you enjoy Fever, may I shamelessly recommend my other story, the week-end reader, Family Life.
She-who-must-not-be-named: Love the name, by the way. Yes, more is coming. Calm down.
Mystic Vaporeon: I love it when you guys come back. Consistent readership. Can't beat it, except with more readership. But oh well.
Since I gave Lady Saturn points for catching on to the cookies, you get points too. Enjoy.
I'm glad you enjoy the story and the fact that the characters stay 'in-character'. But as I pointed out to Kiara Black, hang in there. I was admonished a bit for letting Snape get a little OOC in later chapters. But again, if you understand the dynamics between the characters involved, I think the behavior is justified.
Hermione Gulliver: Welcome back. I was afraid Family Life scared you away from my stories. And I so love your reviews. I'm glad you gave Fever a try, and I'm glad you're enjoying it. But once again I have to caution those of you out there singing the praises of in-character characters, you may be headed for some rough times. Really depends on how liberal you are, I guess. I may also just be blowing this way out of proportion and worrying over nothing.
Again, nice to have you back. Always appreciate repeat business.
Vlawn: Another one I was afraid Family Life frightened off. And thank you. You're going down as one of my favorite reviewers (if they ever make a category).
The Unicorn Whisperer: Ceiling's still fascinating me. One day you'll click on your reviews and there I'll be. Currently I'm just pressed for time (and so darn lazy).
I'm rolling on the floor here, by the way, reading your review. Where do you come up with this stuff, and can I use it in a story? I love it. O.K., follow me with the answers.
Sort-of, no, no, no, and no.
'Course Lupin's under a curse. He's a werewolf. (*Sigh* How soon they forget.)
No.
I refuse to answer that on the grounds I may just incriminate myself as well.
Darn right! And I'm not telling! (So there).
In closing, allow me to say I'm so sure you're gonna wanna slap me by the end of this.
To those who reviewed or are just reading: I will say (humbly, of course) that I'm very proud of Fever. Plot-wise, I think it's a very good story. (The audience agrees, applauds wildly, and throws money at the author).
If your interested in not having to check daily or so, I tend to post on Sundays and Wednesdays, which means the stories show up on Fanfiction.net Mondays and Thursdays.
All right. On with the story.
Chapter Five: One Mistake
Lupin made his way back down the stairs and began checking rooms systematically when he didn't readily find the Dursley's.
'Harry's relatives must have had some fairly unpleasant run-ins with wizards or witches to have such severe dislike for them', Lupin thought as he continued his search. Of course, he knew about the few incidents Harry had had with his magic getting out of control that ended up somehow involving the Dursley's. But heavens! The students at Hogwarts did worse with their pranks and rarely were even given detention...well, except by Snape.
Lupin sighed to himself. Some people just couldn't let go of stereotypes or prejudices, he reminded himself. He had plenty of his own experiences with both to draw on to know that.
Finally Lupin managed to find the Dursleys hiding in a corner of the living room. Dudley barely hidden with his parents behind a large chair.
"Ah." Stated Lupin, pleased that his search was over and successful. "There you are."
Uncle Vernon looked over the top of the chair.
"Wha...what do you want?" He asked, trying to sound stern. But somehow it just didn't come off right when you were trying to do it while hiding behind a chair.
"Can you tell me," Lupin began, careful to keep his tone as friendly as he could, "might you have any idea where Harry got the cookies in his room?"
"Cookies?" Uncle Vernon asked. "What cookies?"
"Harry had a small bag of cookies in his room." Lupin explained, careful not to mention where Harry had been hiding the food, certain it was a well-guarded secret. "They were in a small brown colored bag. Large sugar cookies, I believe."
"Boy couldn't have had cookies." Uncle Vernon stated a bit more confidently. "Had no way to have gotten them."
A sudden tug on Uncle Vernon's arm caused him to turn to his wife, who was pulling on his sleeve. She whispered something up at him, then fell quickly silent again.
"Oh." Uncle Vernon said, turning back to a pleasantly smiling Lupin. "We went into town a few days ago and had the boy get Dudle......had him buy some cookies. I'd forgotten about that."
"Where in town?" Lupin asked kindly.
Uncle Vernon gave Lupin the name of the bakery as well as rapidly fired off directions on how to get to it. Lupin was about to asked Uncle Vernon to repeat the directions when Snape grabbed his arm from behind him and started to drag him to the door.
"I have the directions." He hissed as they headed out the front door. "Come on."
"Bit impatient, Severus." Lupin stated as he hurried after Snape down the street.
"I simply couldn't abide being in that house any longer." Snape spat. "The lot of them were so terrified of us you could practically smell it."
Lupin barely suppressed a laugh, but quickly reverted to his usual bemused smile when Snape turned to him.
"Honestly, Severus. Don't you think you're exaggerating a bit?"
"No."
Lupin sighed as he looked about the street, spying a small shed next to a brick fence.
"We can disapparate from there and not be seen." He stated, heading over to the shed. Snape followed after him and a few minutes later they were standing in a back alley of a busy London street.
"How are we suppose to find this place?" Snape asked, looking out at the crowded street.
"Well, not looking like this for starters." Lupin replied, pointing his wand at Snape.
An instant later Snape found himself dressed in typical muggle cloths, much to his distaste. But since Lupin followed suit, he decided not to complain. It would only slow things down and he would likely end up in the same predicament in the end anyway. He rarely won arguments with Lupin.
"I spent some time in London once." Lupin stated as they headed for the street. "And I have some idea of where Harry's uncle was saying the shop was located. Just not the exact location. I hope you remember the address?"
Snape made some sound of affirmation as he followed closely behind Lupin.
All through the London streets, Snape kept unusually close to Lupin. He hated crowds. Especially muggle crowds. The longer they were out in the open streets, the more he found himself longing for his quiet, peaceful, uncrowded dungeons. But finally Lupin announced that they were on the correct street and asked Snape for the address.
A few blocks down the street they found the small bakery. Lupin stood in the side alleyway for several minutes, checking for protection spells or booby traps while Snape kept a close watch on the area around them. Finally Lupin walked back over to where Snape stood near the entrance to the alleyway.
"Well?"
Lupin shook his head. "I don't like it." He replied. "There's not a single spell or charm on this building. Nothing to show any magically activity at all that I can tell."
"Perhaps that's being shielded as well." Snape offered. "So we can't see it."
Lupin shrugged. "It's possible. And if that's the case, there's only one other way to find out what's going on in there, and that's to get a first hand look."
The inside of the small bakery revealed nothing more extraordinary than the outside had. A tall thin man behind the counter gave them a friendly smile.
"Can I help you gents?" He asked cheerfully.
'A little too cheerful', Lupin thought as he looked the man over.
"Yes, we were wondering if you might remember a young boy who came into your shop a few days ago." Lupin began. "He bought a bag of sugar cookies."
"Get lots of customers." The man replied.
"The boy was rather distinctive. Tall, thin, messy black hair, glasses, bright green eyes. Somewhat shy. Ring any bells for you?" Lupin asked, the characteristic, pleasant smile across his face.
"Can't say as it does." The man replied a little too quickly for Lupin's liking.
Lupin turned over his shoulder to Snape. "I think I'll be a few minutes here, Severus." Lupin cued him in. Snape nodded slightly and stepped outside the door to act as watch.
Back inside the bakery, Lupin turned his characteristic smile back to the man again. But it now lacked any of its usual warmth.
"All right," Lupin said past that smile, pulling out his wand, "let's try again, shall we?"
Fifteen minutes later a tired, discouraged looking Lupin came out of the shop.
"Well?" Snape asked as they started back down the street.
"More memory charms than they used at the world cup." Lupin informed him. "We'd never get anything useful out of him. At least not for several days. And even then it would be risky."
Snape sighed quietly. "Well, we still have the cookies. At least we'll know what the poison is. And there's really little doubt who's responsible for them."
"I suppose that's true." Lupin lamented. "But I think we should stop by Harry's relatives on our way back to the castle."
Snape gave his customary scowl. "Whatever for?"
"What if Harry's cousin ate any of those cookies, Severus? We should at least make sure none of his relatives were affected as well."
"There wouldn't be enough poison in the world to do that whale of a child any harm." Snape shot back. He hated the idea of going back to the Dursley's. He had had more than his fill of an outing among muggles to last him through next year. All he wanted now was to return to his peaceful dungeons. "Think it's a waste of time."
"You can head back to the castle is you like, Severus." Lupin offered amicably. "I can see to this on my own."
But Snape shook his head. "You're going to need someone to get you out of whatever you'll get yourself into."
"I'm a big boy, Severus."
Snape held his position. One of Lupin's greatest faults, he felt, was that the man too often saw things as some great adventure, while ignoring any possibility of danger. In that regard Snape felt his one-time friend was far too much like Black. Always diving into things head first without looking. What Lupin saw as a trip to visit muggles Snape saw as a visit into hostile territory. One best past by.
But as firmly as Snape held to his position not to leave, Lupin held to his to pay one more visit to the Dursley's before heading back to the Shrieking Shack.
When they arrived at the house, Lupin knocked on the door, humming cheerfully to himself. But he stopped abruptly when the door pushed open slightly as he knocked on it.
Snape grabbed Lupin by his robes and pulled him back.
"Something's wrong." He stated quietly, backing them both away from the slightly open door.
Lupin pulled against Snape's hold on his robes. "And it also could be nothing." Lupin stated quietly. "Maybe someone just didn't close the door tightly when they left."
But Snape didn't release his hold on Lupin's ropes. Instead he stood stone-still, eyeing the open door.
"If something is wrong, they could be hurt, Severus." Lupin said. "We should check at least."
"We can call their muggle law people. Let them sort it out."
"And that may be too late." Lupin replied, yanking his robes free from Snape's grasp. "What if something's seriously wrong? We can't just leave them. They're Harry's relatives."
"Potter hates his relatives. He likely wouldn't bother either."
"I very much doubt that, Severus. Now you can come in or stay out here. I don't care which."
Snape sighed in exasperation as he watched Lupin head back up the stairs. Why did the man have to be so...irritating?
"Just a minute!" Snape hissed, coming up behind Lupin. "You'll still need someone to bail you out of whatever trouble you're walking into."
"And to think Sirius continuously tells me you don't care about another living thing, Severus." Lupin replied with a smile as he turned to Snape.
Snape huffed at Lupin, his exasperation growing at the man. "I simply have no desire to have to explain any...difficulties to the Headmaster." He replied in a hissed whisper.
Lupin chuckled to himself as he headed back up the stairs.
With his wand out, Lupin carefully pushed the door open and stepped inside. The house was eerily quiet. Not so much as a single sound could be heard.
"Maybe there's no one here?" Snape suggested. "Maybe they went out and did simply forget to lock the door."
"We should still check." Lupin replied in a hushed whisper. "You check the upstairs. I'll look around down here."
A hand grabbed Lupin's arm as he started off.
"Be careful." Snape whispered firmly as Lupin turned back to him.
"And you." Lupin replied.
The two separated. Snape stealthily made his way up the stairs as Lupin worked his way down the hallway.
Used to moving about covertly, Snape covered the upstairs in only a few short minutes. But finding no sign of the Dursley's, he sighed to himself and started back towards the stairs. The faster they left the house the happier he would be.
Thoughts of his peaceful dungeon were fogging over his brain again when a sound shuttered his blissful anticipation as surely as Snape was sure it shattered every window in the house.
A gun shot.
The sound had tore through the silence of the house with an earsplitting blast. Snape bolted for the stairs, oblivious now himself to the possibility of danger below.
"Remus!" He cried as he flew down the steps. Reaching the bottom he started down the hallway, but stopped abruptly at the sight before him.
A lone figure lay crumpled on the floor in the hallway.
"Remus?" Snape called again as he rushed to the man's side. He knelt before him and carefully turned the collapsed form over until Lupin's upper body was resting in his lap.
Snape quickly but carefully tried to assess what was wrong, but he found he didn't have that far to look. Blood was already seeping over Lupin's hand as he held it pressed against blood stained robes.
"Remus! What happened?" Snape asked, the urgency in his voice reaching a fevered pitch.
Lupin looked more stunned than anything. He managed to slowly turn his face to Snape. A pained expression over took his features that quickly turned to fear.
"Severus?" Was all he managed to say before he collapsed against Snape.
A slight sound distracted the potions master. He looked up sharply with his wand already raised. Beyond the doorway leading into the kitchen, Vernon Dursley sat huddled with his wife and son in the far corner of the room.
A large rifle was held in his shaking hands.
"You!" Snape seethed, eyeing the three muggles with a murderous stare.
"Now....now see here." Vernon Dursley stuttered. "We....we had no idea who it was. You come barging in here before, scared my family half out of their wits. Then you come back.....sneaking about. Man has a right to protect his family."
"This man would no more have harmed you than a fly. He came here to help you. And yet this is how you repay him?"
Snape pointed his wand at the small group of muggles and muttered a spell.
The rifle in Uncle Vernon's grip suddenly seemed to soften and expand. It's length began to increase as the barrel filled out more until Uncle Vernon found himself suddenly holding a large, red-brown snake.
With a frightened yell, Uncle Vernon threw the snake across the room where it landed and quickly coiled itself up on the floor. It remained there, carefully examining the three shaking figures in the far corner.
"That should keep you adequately busy." Snape sneered at them.
Returning his wand to his robes, Snape carefully lifted Lupin's limp form and hurried out of the house.
Snape didn't stopped until he could feel that they had passed all of the protection wards and anti-apparation spells around the property. As soon as he was free of them, he quickly disapparated with Lupin, not caring if anyone saw them or not.
